Volvo to use Microsoft HoloLens in showrooms

Microsoft announced Volvo has ordered a bunch of HoloLens devices for use in showrooms. The Swedish car maker will use the augmented reality headset to demonstrate various customization options and car features. Customers will be able to not adjust the color scheme of a car and walk around the hologram to see it from all angles. Furthermore, people will be able to sit inside an actual vehicle and take it for an AR test drive, although I doubt that will ever become more popular than a real test drive.

Starting next year, Volvo will be able to showcase things not usually possible to demo instantly and indoors -- say, its cars' safety features, such as collision avoidance, and various possible customization options -- through holograms. The two companies have recently exhibited a prototype version of the system at Microsoft's HQ in Redmond using the upcoming S90 luxury sedan as their subject. Thanks to augmented reality, they were able to display not only holographic models of the unreleased car, but also cross sections of its parts.